How to find the best deals and coupons using AI
Prime Day may be over, but holiday shopping is just around the corner. And whether you shop exclusively online or enjoy going to the mall, you probably want to score the best deals. In this economy, every dollar counts – and using artificial intelligence as a shopping assistant can help you save money, especially as you scour the internet for the best deals ahead of the holidays.
Since ChatGPT has the largest user base and user-generated resources, I chose to experiment with it to see how it performs as a personal shopper. But I didn’t just use the regular ChatGPT – I used a custom GPT.
The ChatGPT plugin feature was recently discontinued. So instead of installing plugins like Aardvark AI that allows you to search for products in real time without ads, use the Discover GPTs option.
Although ChatGPT has opened many of the custom GPTs to free users, I used ChatGPT Plus because the GPT-4 model has web access. I wanted to see if it could save me more than the $20 monthly fee.
ChatGPT: your bargain hunting buddy
I tried two examples:
- A major purchase.
- Search for valid coupons.
I used the search bar in Explore GPTs and found Shopping GPT.
A major purchase
I want a new MacBook Pro, so I found the model I liked and asked ChatGPT to find cheaper purchasing options than the Apple Store.
It immediately gave me two viable options: the same product that costs $180 less and a smaller model that is $50 cheaper than the Apple Store.
This was compared to Apple’s prices of $999 and $1,199 – but I realized I hadn’t specified ‘new’, and that the option that was $50 cheaper was actually a refurbished 2023 model.
However, keep it in mind ChatGPT Plus has access to the Internet, it’s unclear how old the data used to train Shopping GPT is, so be sure to double check prices on actual company websites.
Take what ChatGPT suggests as an option and always play devil’s advocate. For example, AI can oversell or misinterpret “reputable websites.” I had never heard of PC Richard & Son, although some Google searches turned up legitimate reviews.
I asked him to show only brand new models from well-known websites, with cheaper prices than in the Apple Store.
The AI tool only came back with Best Buy and B&H options, both for $1,199 – no cheaper than Apple’s website. So I asked ChatGPT if it could offer ways to get the same MacBook under $1,199 with access to Best Buy or B&H deals.
Although it contained mainly general information, there was a golden nugget in it.
I went to Best Buy and searched for the same model in the Open Box section, sorted by lowest price, and found three cheaper deals that would save me $275 to $295.
Search for valid coupons
There are always a lot of coupons on Amazon and I wanted to see if ChatGPT or a custom GPT could collect valid, current coupons. I have a few items to purchase on Amazon, so I asked ChatGPT how I could save money on my next order. It told me about Amazon’s discount page, as well as a browser extension to automatically apply coupons at checkout.
I saw the teeth whitener I like on the discount page, so I used that to test if it works. It did!
Next, I tried ChatGPT’s second suggestion, the PayPal Honey browser extension.
I installed Honey and created an account. I chose a brand I shopped at (Madewell) and looked for coupons.
I activated the rewards and then I was redirected to the Madewell website. I had my eye on a linen dress and even though the product had no working codes, I qualified for 4% cashback.
I tried again, this time with Adidas sneakers. I saw a coupon on Honey, which was applied to my order.
Should You Use ChatGPT for Online Shopping?
ChatGPT pointed me in the right direction in my research and helped me find the best deals online for the products I needed to buy.
However, there are other ways to use ChatGPT to get the best deals: for example, use it to set up scripts or talking points to negotiate a better deal with a service provider. You can also check out CNET’s AI Atlas hub for tips on how to save money on groceries using AI and how to save money on your wedding by making invitations using AI.
While finding deals for AI is a heavy burden, if you have the time and patience, these tools are can save your money.
